Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Dr. John Dee, 16th century advisor to Queen Elizabeth, conducted a series of
mystical sessions to converse with angelic spirits in the early 1580s, asking a variety of
questions ranging from hidden treasures to the organization of the cosmos. At a glance
the experiments appear focused solely on the field of magic, separated from organized
scientific research or religious belief. I argue that Dee’s research within this period does
not separate the three from one another, but instead serves as a meeting point where
magic, science, and religion overlap one another. They are not separate discourses, but
instead constantly mingling as practitioners like Dee pursue knowledge. Christopher
Marlowe, a playwright of the 16th century, mirrors Dee’s research in his play Doctor
Faustus, ultimately condemning the pursuits of magic as fruitless and useful only for
one’s damnation.
mystical sessions to converse with angelic spirits in the early 1580s, asking a variety of
questions ranging from hidden treasures to the organization of the cosmos. At a glance
the experiments appear focused solely on the field of magic, separated from organized
scientific research or religious belief. I argue that Dee’s research within this period does
not separate the three from one another, but instead serves as a meeting point where
magic, science, and religion overlap one another. They are not separate discourses, but
instead constantly mingling as practitioners like Dee pursue knowledge. Christopher
Marlowe, a playwright of the 16th century, mirrors Dee’s research in his play Doctor
Faustus, ultimately condemning the pursuits of magic as fruitless and useful only for
one’s damnation.
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